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OLD WORLD LACE

6ld world lace

07"

A Guide for the Lace Lover

CLARA M. BLUM

\ I I

' To cultivate the se?ise of the beautiful is but one^
and the most effectual ^ of the ways of cultivating
an appreciation of the Divine goodness. '''' — bovee

E. P. BUTTON & CO.

NEW YORK

-yV// Rja-hti Reser-ved

Printed in the United States
OF America

CONTENTS

Introduftion
Laces of Italy .
Laces of Flanders
Laces of France
Laces of Spain
Laces of England
Laces of Ireland
Glossary
Grounds
Index

9
13
33
53

11
76

83
83

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Detail of bobbin toile 11

Detail of needle toile 12

Drawn Linen Work. "Punto Tirato" ; 16th century 13

Cut Work. "Punto Tagliato" ; lljth century ; showing satin and curl stitch 14

Reticello. Sixteenth century 14

Reticello Collar. Sixteenth century 15

Reticello Collar. Sixteenth century; with bobbin edge 15

A — Edge of ""Punto in Aria."' End of 16th century. B — '"Punto in

Aria." Sixteenth century; showing cardinal tassels in the border . 16

Venetian "Gros Point."' Seventeenth century; with brides 17

Venetian '"Gros Point." Detail showing variety of needle stitches . . 18
Venetian "Point Plat." Seventeenth century; design with Renaissance

scrolls 18

Venetian "Coralline."' Seventeenth century 19

Venetian "'Rosaline." Seventeenth century 20

Venetian "Rosaline" Collar. Seventeenth century 20

Venetian "Rose Point." Seventeenth century rabat 21

"Venise a Reseau."' Eighteenth Century Venetian needle point imitating

Alengon 22

Milan. Bobbin-made without foundation ; 17th-18th century .... 23
Milan. Bobbin-made; continuous braid w^ith brides; 17th-18th century . 24
Milan. Bobbin-made; continuous scroll ; no foundation ; r7th-18th century 25
Alilan. Bobbin-made ; alb trimming on mesh foundation ; 18th century . 26
]\Iilan. Bobbin-made ; continuous braid on mesh ; 17th-18th century de-
sign with hunter and dog 27

Milan. Bobbin-made; continuous braid on mesh foundation ; 18th century 27
Milan. Bobbin-made tape outlining design on mesh foundation ;

18th century 28

Genoese. Bobbin-made edge. First half of 17th century 29

Genoese. Bobbin-made; 18th century; showing ""Genoese Rose"" ... 30

Burano. Copy of Alengon; 18th century; showing streaky mesh ... 30

Macrame. Border wath bird design ; 17th century .31

Guipure de Flandre. Seventeenth century 34

'"Point de Flandre." With brides ; 18th century 36

Mechlin, or :\Ialines. First half of 18th centry. Showing reseau rosace 37

Malines Handkerchief. Eighteenth century 38

Malines. Late 18th century; with "point d'esprit" 39

Antw^erp. Potten Kant; 17th-18th century 40

"Point d'Angleterre." Clear example of cote around design and with

variety of grounds 41

"Point d'Angleterre." With brides. End of 17th century 42

"Point d'Angleterre." Louis XV; corner of square showing use of

Chinese figures in design 43

"Point d'Angleterre." On mesh ; 18th century ; center of chalice veil . 44

"Point d'Angleterre." On mesh; 18th century lappet 45

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

"Point d'Angleterre." Eighteenth century barbe ; no mesh ; great variety

of grounds 47

"Point d'Angleterre." Eighteenth centry barbe; tine example of cote

around motifs 48

Binche or Fausse Valenciennes. End of 17th century 48

Binche. With "cinq-trous fond'' ; 18th century 49

Duchesse. End of 18th century 50

Brussels "Point a I'Aiguille" or "Point de Gaze"; l!>th century ... 51
Brussels "Point a TAiguille" or "Point de Gaze" Handkerchief. Nine-
teenth century 51

"Point de France" or "Point de Venise."' Seventeenth century lappet . 54
"Point de France" Chalice Veil. Eighteenth century ; showing elab-
orate design 55

Alenqon. Eighteenth century ; with carnation pattern and elaborate

needle point stitches 56

Alenqon. Louis XVI. A — Veil with mesh seme with tiny pods.

B — Border showing combination of heavy and tine mesh .... 57

Argentan. Eighteenth century lappet ; hexagonal button-holed mesh . , 58

Argentan. Eighteenth century 58

Valenciennes. Seventeenth century ; resembling Binclie 59

Valenciennes. Eighteenth century 60

A' — Ave ]\Iaria edge. B — "Point de Dieppe"; reseml)ling Valenciennes . til

"Point de Paris.'' Nineteenth century ; showing six-pointed star mesh . ()2

Lille. Eighteenth century; showing "fond simple" 63

Lille. Nineteenth century ; with "'point d'esprit" 68

Chantilly Handkerchief. Eighteenth century 64

A — Cluny. B — Torchon 65

Spanish Blonde. Eighteenth century 68

Applique. Nineteenth century 69

Applique Scarf. Eighteenth century ; on "vrai reseau" showing lines

where mesh was joined 70

Filet. Buratto. Sixteenth century ; mesh made with two threads down

and one across 70

Filet. Lacis. Seventeenth century; knotted mesh and darning sitich . 71

Filet. Modern type 72

Buckinghamshire. A^ — Back of lady's cap; eighteenth century.

B — Nineteenth century edge; like Lille 73

Honiton Guipure. Collar; 19th century 74

Honiton. Applied to hand-made mesh 74

Irish Crochet. Imitating Venetian needle point; l!>th century ... 76
Irish Crochet. Nineteenth century; barbe; rare specimen of fine old

crochet 77

Irish Crochet. Modern type of fine and heavy stitcli 78

Limerick. Needle-run lace ; 19th century 79

Carrickmacross Guipure. Nineteenth century ; showing cambric flowers

cut out and stitched around 80

Introdu£tion

1 have felt, in compiling this booklet, the need of a
concise guide for the student of old lace who does not
care to go too deeply into the history of lace, or the tech-
nicalities of its making, but at the same time wants to
familiarize himself with the various types of lace. I
cannot help feeling that a wider interest might be awak-
ened, were it possible for one to gain the knowledge, in
a simplified form, of the distinguishing characteristics
of lace.

There should be a revival of the appreciation of this
beautiful art which has remained dormant here in
America, due possibly to a certain hesitancy on the part
of many in taking up the study of a subject which may
seem to them rather formidable, but which in reality
may be easily mastered, and take its place in the educa-
tion of our youth, last but not least in the study of the
fine arts.

It is my aim, in this book, to give a general idea, in as
few words as possible, and with the aid of numerous
illustrations, of the many and varied forms of lace, to
what century they belong, and in what country they
were made.

Should any one feel, after studying this book, that his
interest is sufficiently awakened to warrant a fuller and
more detailed knowledge of this fascinating subject,
there are any number of excellent w^orks that will take
him far into the intricacies of lace-making, too numerous
to mention, but that any library can supply.

Although there are many slightly conflicting opinions
as to the real beginning of this beautiful work, it is safe
to say that what we know today as "lace" came into
existence about 1500, or even the latter part of the fif-
teenth century; but from that time on, the rapid develop-

ment was quite remarkable, for within a period of about
fifty years, lace-making had taken its place in nearly all
European countries as an acknowledged industry.

Italy is probably the first country to which we turn
for our earliest examples, although many other coun-
tries, such as Spain and Flanders, undoubtedly made
lace about the same time, and in some few instances
even earlier.

The early patterns used in all these countries for any
form of linen work, prove to us, however, that in copying
the Moorish, Greek and Arabic designs from old bits of
fabrics, we may look back to a much earlier civilization,
to the real origin of this hand w^ork. What chiefly con-
cerns us here, however, is to follow as briefly as possible
the course of lace-making from its established beginning
down to modern times.

For this purpose we will take up lace, which in the
early sixteenth century was the direct outcome of the
elaborate drawn and cut work made in Italy for several
centuries previous. The gradual elimination of nearly
all the linen ground by the drawing of threads brings
us to what was known as Reticello. Once established
as an industry, which it soon became, lace was divided
into two great classes to which belong all the lace made
up to the present time.

These two divisions are known as Point or Needle
lace, and Bobbin or Pillow lace. Point lace comprises
the laces made with the needle, making use of one stitch
in its many and varied forms; that is, the buttonhole
stitch. Point lace was made before bobbin lace and
to this class belong all the Venetian Points, Alengon.
Argentan, Point de France, Brussels Point a T Aiguille
or Point de Gaze, etc.

Bobbin lace, more commonly known as pillow, was
made, as the name implies, by the use of bobbins at-
tached to a pillow, the number of these bobbins varying
greatly, as many as from ten to many hundreds being
used, according to the pattern.

Illustration No. i
Detail of bobbin toile

To this class belong Milan, Genoese, nearly all the
Spanish laces, Flemish, Point d'Angleterre, Mechlin,
Binche, Valenciennes, Point de Paris, Buckinghamshire,
Honiton, etc.

Bobbin lace can easily be distinguished from point
lace by looking at the execution of the toile or solid part,
which in bobbin lace resembles the crossed and inter-
woven threads of a woven material, while the solid part
of point lace is an easily recognizable needle point stitch.

In the following chapters we will take up the study of
the different laces in the order of their development.
Italy will be given the first place by right of the unde-
niable perfection of her early workmanship and the
fact that it was in Italy that lace-making first became
prominent as an industry. We will try to discuss the
lace of each country as clearly as possible, devoting the
most detail to the three great lace-making centers of the
world, namely, Italy, France and Flanders, and touching

Illiisiration No. 2
Detail of needle toile

but lightly on England and Spain. The other European
countries all made lace of a certain peasant type which,
however, never attained sufficient importance to warrant
our devoting space to them in this brief review of laces
of greater beauty and value. Any one wishing to go more
deeply into the subject of the countless laces of this type,
made in all countries, can readily find this information
in a comprehensive history of lace, which this book makes
no claim to be. The object of this volume is to interest
the many whose knowledge of lace lies simply in an
appreciation of its beauty, and to give them a simple
method of classifying the well-known laces of all coun-
tries, thus bringing them to the threshold of a far wider
knowledge, and opening for them the portals into the
''Kingdom of Lace," where they will be ably guided by
Mrs. Palliser, Elisa Ricci, Gertrude Whiting, A/[rs.
Neville Jackson, and a score of others.

J^ces of Italy

Embellishment of personal and household linen as
well as vestments of the church, started with what is
known as "Punto Tirato" or drawn work, and there is
little difficulty in tracing the evolution of this same
drawn work into its final phase, known as lace.

The drawing of these threads in greater or less
quantities naturally led to the use of a great variety of
stitches, among which the satin and curl stitch, or
surface embroidery, were used to a great extent, with
the ''Punto Tagliato" or cut work (where a piece is cut
directly out of the material and filled in with a needle
stitch), and so on, in various forms, gradually getting
further from w^ork on the linen and giving greater
attention to the drawn threads.

Illustration No. J
Drawn Linen Work. ''Piinto Tirato"; 16th century

Illustration No. 4
Cut Work. "Punto Tagliato" ; 16th century; showing satin and curl stitch

Then comes the next step known as Reticello; this is
simply the outcome of the continuous drawing away of

Illustration No. 5

Reticello. Sixteenth century

Illustration No. 6
Reticello Collar. Sixteenth century

Illustration No. J
Reticello Collar. Sixteenth century ; with bobbin edge

Illustration No. 8

A — Edge of "Pnnto in Aria." End of 16th century

B — "Punto in Aria." Sixteenth century; showing cardinal

tassels in the border

the linen until nothing of it visibly remains. It is the
name given to the geometrical borders seen in great
quantities of Italian work, which by the few perpen-
dicular lines, to which the connecting link of the linen
itself may be easily traced, paved the way in this last
great step in linen work for the ''Punto in Aria," or the
earliest example of what is now known as lace.

T^unto in ^ria

"Punto in Aria" (stitch in the air), as the name
impHes, is the final breaking" away from any Hnk with
the Hnen material. Its first use was in trimming of
various altar cloths, albs, etc., of cut and drawn work.
It was made in the form of edges and insertions and
closely resembled in stitch and design its forerunner,
Reticello. The edge was generally pointed, the sharp
being of the earlier period and the shallow, more rounded
scallop showing the Spanish influence, belonging to a
later date. Some authorities put all Venetian lace under
the general head of "Punto in Aria,'"' but I prefer here
to call them by their individual names, applying the term
"Punto in Aria" only to the earliest stage between
Reticello and Gros Point.

From the edges it was but a short and quick step to
the lace or beautiful Venetian Points which we know
today under the names of Gros Point de Venise, Point
Plat de Venise, Coralline, Rosaline and Venise a Reseau.

(^ross l^oint

The first or heavy Venetian Point made with the
variation of the buttonhole stitch became richer in
desig'n, more complicated in stitch as the workers be-

Illustration No. p
Venetian "Gros Point." Seventeenth century ; with brides

Illustration No. jo
Venetian "Gros Point." Detail showing variety of needle stitches

came more efficient. The design, though large, is grace-
ful, and the foliated pattern which is used so much in
later Italian lace is seen here for the first time. There

Illustration No. ii
Venetian ''Point Plat." Seventeenth century ; design with Renaissance scrolls

Illustration No. 12
Venetian "Coralline." Seventeenth century

is no background, though in some examples the "motifs"
are held together by "brides" or bars made of a fine
buttonhole stitch. The heavy cordonnet buttonholed over
at various intervals brings out the pattern and is one of
the main characteristics of this lace.

The solid parts are made up of a variety of designs,
the stitches at times being so close as to give the effect
of a linen material, while others are made of open-work
designs, checks or other patterns.

Coralline

Following the Gros Point came the flat Venetian or
Coralline, very unlike the heavy point in appearance,
having its smooth surface unornamented by either the
cordon-edged or picoted flowers. It has no special design
save the graceful entwining lines which readily remind
one of the coral branches from w^hich it derives its

name.

Illustration No. /j
Venetian "Rosaline." Seventeenth century

Illustration No. 14
Venetian ''Rosaline" Collar. Seventeenth centurv

Illustration No. 15
Venetian "Rose Point." Seventeenth century rabat

osaline

The Rosaline comes next and its exquisite workman-
ship makes it among the finest and most sought after of
all the Italian laces. It borrows something from both of
its predecessors, for while closely resembling the Gros
Point in conception, the pattern is much daintier and
smaller, making the effect one of airy lightness.

The designs are held together by innumerable tiny
"brides" which in turn are profusely ornamented by
small rose-like flowers, the edges of the flowers as well
as the "brides" are decorated with myriads of little
picots, varying of course with the quality of the lace;
this gives a raised effect, which is very beautiful.

A type of fine, flat Venise is also called Rose Point,
though the rose from which it derives its name is only
found ornamenting at intervals the "brides" or bars
with a tiny picot-edged circular flower, the main body
of the lace resembling the Coralline.

Of course the use of figures, coats-of-arms, or any
other designs found in this type of lace adds greatly
both to its interest and its value. The distinguishing
features, however, remain in the characteristics which
we have tried to point out.

Illustration No. i6

"Venise a Resean."' Eighteenth Century Venetian needle point
imitating Alengon

Illustration No. ij
Milan. Bobbin-made without foundation ; 17th— 18th century

IJenise a T^eseau

The Venise a Reseau, or grounded Venise, belongs
to a considerably later date than the Venetian Points.
When Colbert founded the great lace industry in France
in 1665, it did not take long for the beautiful Alencon
and Argentan laces to find their way into Italy. The
beauty of the fine needle-made net or mesh which formed
the ground work of these laces, charmed the Italians
and they soon set to work to copy this wonderful new
ground or Reseau. The result was the combination of
the needle point designs, the flower and foliated patterns
of the other laces and the fine mesh which the Italian
workers soon learned to make. This was called Venise
a Reseau. Examples of this exquisite work are rare.

In describing the V^enetian points we have touched on
the best known and most sought-after of the needle-
made ItaHan laces, and we now turn to the bobbin-made
laces of Milan, which, by their beauty, give ample proof
that the women of Milan were as skilled in the use of
their bobbins as were their sisters of \^enice in plying
the needle.

The Milanese lace of the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries, was a flat, tape-like lace, very open as to
pattern and generally following little or no design, save
the curving circular lines often joined by ''brides" and
called ''flat Milan."

A close examination of this lace will readily show
the reader the distinct dift'erence between the toile or

Ilhistratioji No. i8
Milan. Bobbin-made; continuous braid with brides; 17th— 18th century

Illustration No. ip
Milan. Bobbin-made ; continuous scroll ; no foundation ; 17th— 18th century

solid part of bobbin lace as compared to the needle
stitch in Venise.

The next step in Milan was the same tape-like design
applied to a somewhat circular mesh gromid, and with
this came the freer use of ''motifs," such as figures,
animals, coats-of-arms, etc. By these various designs
one can usually determine the century in which this lace
was made, the more ornate and detailed the pattern, the
later the period. Thus the scrolls and foliated desig'ns
of the Renaissance gave way to figures and flowers of
the eighteenth century.

In all ''Milan" lace the background or mesh was
worked after the "motifs" (which were made separately
and arranged in the desired pattern). The mesh is also
bobbin-made and generally large and open.

There was a great demand for this lace owing to its
adaptability to all ecclesiastical vestments, altar cloths,
etc., which called for a durable and washable lace, but

Illustration No. 20
Milan. Bobbin-made; alb trimming on mesh foundation; 18th century

Illustration No. 21

Milan. Bobbin-made ; continuous braid on mesh ; 17th— 18th century

design with hunter and dog

Illustration No. 22
Milan. Bobbin-made ; continuous braid on mesh foundation ; 18th century

unfortunately this very demand was the cause of the
market being flooded with an inferior quahty of this
lace which, while resembling the other in pattern, was
made with a bobbin-made tape that followed the design
like an outline instead of making* each "motif" on the
pillow. This can readily be detected as the tape is either
turned or gathered to fit the pattern, while otherwise

Illustration No. 2^
Milan. Bobbin-made tape outlining design on mesh foundation ; 18th century

the toile would smoothly follow the curves of the pattern
guided by the bobbin. There is probably a greater
variety of Milan than almost any other lace, as it varies
from the larg-e flat, scrolling design with a great deal of
toile and no ground, to the similar design connected by
"brides," then the small fine toile with many brides, on
to the later Milan, where the many motifs are joined by
the large round mesh in its various degrees of quality.

Illustration No. 24
Genoese. Bobbin-made Edge. First half of 17th century

Qenoese — T^oint de (^enes

Although Italy is most famed for its two widely
different types of lace represented by Venetian and
Milanese, we must by no means ignore the work of the
Genoese lace makers, who contributed so much to the
lace industry of their country.

Like Milan this lace is made with the bobbin, although
unlike the Milan it copies the design and patterns of
the Venetian needle point. Its distinguishing feature,
however, is the constant use of the flower design com-
posed of petal-like ''brides" in the shape of a cross
within a circle and called the ''Genoese Rose." This
geometrical motif recurs constantly in the patterns and
is easily recognizable. So skilful were the Genoese
workers in imitating with their bobbins the early
Venetian patterns found in the fifteenth and sixteenth
century pattern books, that it is often only by close
observation that they can be distinguished from the
needle points of Venice.

The name of "point" incorrectly given to this bobbin-
made lace undoubtedly originated from the fact that
the best known laces of Genoa were made in deep points

and scallops as they were used to such a great extent
for edging- the ruffs and collars of the period.

^urano

We are putting Burano last in the list of Italian laces,
not because it was the last to take up the industry, but
rather because it is the one center which, right up to
the present day has continued extensively the making

^^^\K. v-^%;'tifrV^'-^^ri^*>,"

Illustration No. 26
Burano. Copy of Alengon ; 18th century; showing streaky mesh

of lace, combining in its schools the reproducing of all
types of lace, Italian, French and Flemish. These laces
were made so skilfully as often to rival their models and
defy detection by all save connoisseurs. The many laces
such as Alengon and Argentan of the French and an}-
number of the Flemish points are copied in great quan-
tities. One distinguishing feature of the work of the
Burano school is the cloudy, rather streaky effect of
the mesh or reseau.

This reseau, which in the French and Flemish laces
is clear and light, when compared to the Burano readily
shows the difference of texture. This result is obtained
by a certain method of throwing the thread to one side
in a manner quite different from that done by the needle
workers of other countries, and accounts for the per-
pendicular lined appearance of the mesh.

The name "Burano" does not apply to any one par-
ticular lace, as is the case with all other names, although

Illustration No. 2/
Macrame. Border with bird design ; 17th century-
Si

the Venise a Reseau or grounded Venise was generally
accepted as being most characteristic of Burano.

Before leaving the laces of Italy, it may be well to
add a few words concerning a certain form of lace that
is neither bobbin or needle, but made of the knotting
of threads and known as Macrame.

This work is taught in the schools to a great extent
and even in the poor houses, children of both sexes
learn to make it. It is generally used as an edging
for household linens and the long fringes of thread are
usually knotted into rather geometrical designs. The
ingenuity of the worker, however, often produces more
novel and elaborate patterns.

J^ces of Flanders

Be'fore entering upon the description of the world-
famous bobbin laces of Flanders, it seems to be the
opportune moment to explain the meaning of the terms
''Straight Lace" and "Free Lace."

Straight lace is the name given to the laces where the
pattern and ground or reseau are made on the pillow at
the same time, the bobbins following without interrup-
tion the pricked out design of ''motif" and reseau. The
laces made in this way are Valenciennes, Binche, Point
de Paris, Lille, Malines, and all of the peasant laces of
France and Italy.

On the other hand, 'Tree Lace" refers to the laces of
which Point d'Angleterre, Honiton, Milan and Brussels
are excellent examples.

The "motifs" in these laces are made separately, the
reseau is worked afterwards and filled in around the
pattern to which it is joined by means of a sort of slip
stitch made by the bobbin with the aid of a sharp hook
or pin called a "needle-pin." These two methods of
making lace may be quite easily distinguished by look-
ing closely to see whether the threads of the patterns
continue in an unbroken line through to the reseau, or
if they appear to end with the motif and begin again at
another angle in the mesh; the former type is of course
"straight lace," the latter "free."

Flemish

x\s w^e have already mentioned, lace-making started
in Flanders about the same time as in Italy, but was
almost exclusively bobbin in its early development.
Flanders at once became one of the largest lace centers
of the world and the marvelous skill and deftness of her
workers made the industry a source of great wealth
owing to the quantity of lace which she was able to
export.

Illustration No. 28
Guipure do Flandre. 17th century

It is the exquisite fineness of the Flemish thread
which has made her lace unequaled in quality and
texture. The flax is spun in dark underground rooms
to avoid contact with the dry air which might cause the
thread to break, and it is this rare fineness which makes
the "Vrai Reseau" or ''Droschel" (as it is called in
Flanders) so costly and inimitable.

It is also for this reason that regardless of the quan-
tity of Flemish lace that was copied from the Spanish
as well as Milanese patterns it is always distinguishable
by a softness and fineness which is quite unlike the firm
rather heavier texture of the Italian thread. There is
also a slight difference in color, the thread being whiter
in the Flemish than the Italian, which has a grayer tone.

Guipure

The earliest Flemish lace was known as Guipure, and
like Milan it was a bobbin-made tape, the motifs of

which in the early stages were joined by "brides," and
in some cases only by the pattern itself. The designs of
this lace, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
followed the Renaissance scrolls and foliated patterns
of the period, the more elaborate flowers and figures
coming later, as well as the use of the mesh.

Flemish T*oints

Flemish Points, wrongly named 'Toint," as they are
bobbin-made laces, really include the laces of Bruges,
Brussels (Brabant), and Point de Genes. Calling it
Point de Genes has nothing to do with the Italian lace
of that name, w^hich was, as we said before, a bobbin-
made copy of the Venetian needle point. But the Point
de Genes here referred to is actually Point de Flandre
or Flemish Point.

There are great quantities of Flemish lace to be
found, both very old and of more recent date, made in
the various cities and provinces; these form a group in
themselves, vast in number and difficult to describe save
by illustrations, as they are mainly copies of the French,
Italian and Spanish laces of the same type. Those, how-
ever, that have their distinctive characteristics and have
acquired fame under their own name, instead of under
the general classification of Flemish lace, are the
following :

rj^echlin ( ^J)(Calines )

Of all the Flemish laces, Malines or Mechlin (which
is the English term) is the daintiest and airiest. It is a
"straight" lace, and owing to the fact that it was used
mainly for the trimming of personal attire it was rarely
made as wade as the other Flemish laces. Its distinguish-
ing feature is the cordonnet or flat silky thread that
outlines the pattern. The beautiful light mesh is hex-
agonal in shape, being made by the twisting twice of

two threads on four sides and plaiting four threads
three times on the other two sides.

The very free use of the silk thread outline is an
unfailing guide to Mechlin, as it almost always appears

Illustration No. 2g
''Point de Flandre." With brides; 18th century,

Illustration No. jo

Mechlin, or Malines. First half of 18th century
Showing reseau rosace

in this lace in a greater or less degree. Were it not for
this, it would often be confused with ''Angleterre"
despite the fact that the latter is a "free" lace.

Malines of the seventeenth and early eighteenth cen-
tury shows the large flowery spray and inserted open-
work stitches known variously as "oeil de perdrix,"
''fond de neige," ''reseau-rosace," etc., and having
very little of the plain mesh. It is similar in design and
composition to the Angleterre of the same period. With
the advance of the eighteenth century Malines became
lighter and filmier, characterized now by a great deal of
soft, simple mesh, ornamented now and then with little
dots or "point d'esprit," and having the small bouquet
of flowers at the very edge of the lace. It became very
popular at the French court and it was its charming
adaptability to the fashion of the day that made Malines
the lace of frills and furbelows.

<^ntwerp

We take occasion here to mention Antwerp on
account of a certain familiar type of lace made there.
It was used by the women as an edging for their caps
and called "Potten Kant," or "pot lace," so named on
account of the design, which was a basket or pot from

Illustration No. 31
^Nlaliiies Handkerchief. Eisliteenth centurv

lUitstratioii No. J2
jMalines. Late 18th century; with "point d'esprit"

which sprang* rather conventional flowers. It is often
said that this "motif" represents the "Hly of annuncia-
tion," and is seen reproduced in many other laces. In
quality and appearance it is a cross between Binche and
IMechlin, having the ground of the former, and the
silky outline of the latter.

'^ngleterre

The laces that have become known to us under the
name of Point d'Angleterre are very varied. This is due
mainly to the fact that in the year 1662, in order to stim-
ulate the home industry, an English edict was passed
prohibiting the importation of foreign-made laces. This
would have meant a great loss to Flanders, so nothing-
daunted, she immediately renamed the laces made for
the English market, putting them all under the head of
"Point d'Angleterre" or ''English Point." Through
this deception she was able to sell her laces to England.

While in the beginning this name was appHed to a great
many Brussels laces it gradually settled down as a term
of its own and became famous as one of the most elab-
orate and beautiful of the Flemish laces. Although
even up to the present time it is better known as Point
d'Angleterre, it is frequently called ''Old Brussels
Point," though I feel that the latter term is somewhat
confusing, owing to the fact that there is a more modern
needle-m3.dc lace named Brussels Point. The early lace
of this type closely resembles the Mechlin, as we already
mentioned, the main difference being in the absence of
the silk thread outline and in the formation of the mesh,
which though of the same airy type is a little more
oblong or lozenge shape, due to the use of an extra plait
on either side. This mesh, the famous "Vrai Reseau,"
or ''Droschel," was made in narrow strips, about an inch
wide and joined together by means of a stitch called
''point de raccroc" or ''fine joining."

Illustration No. jj

Antwerp. Potten Kant; 17th-18th century

Illustration No. S4

"Point d'Angleterre." Clear example of cote around design
and with variety of grounds

Angleterre is a ''free lace" and the slightly raised
edge or ''cote" around the flowers and motifs is very
characteristic, and gives a beautiful effect of relief.

Illustration No. J5
'Point d'Angleterre.'' With brides. End of 17th century

Illustration No. j6

"Point d'Aiigletcrre.'' Louis XV; corner of square showing use of
Chinese figures in design

As is true of nearly all lace, there are many distinctly
varying types of ''Angleterre," influenced naturally by
the designs of the period in which they were made as
well as by the quality of workmanship.

The earlier type of about the seventeenth century was
the conventional style of the period, which showed itself

in other laces, namely, large scrolls and motifs joined
by ''brides." Then came the net backgromid which gen-
erally has the large bold flowers and rather open mesh
left by the pattern in wide patches. This is probably the
least attractive of the many types of Angleterre, as it
seems to lack the daintiness and beauty of design so

Illustration No. S7
'Point d'Angleterre." On mesh; 18th century; center of chalice veil

Illustration No. ^8
Toint d'Angleterre." On mesh; 18th century lappet

characteristic of this lace. Next came the finer work-
manship and more graceful and elaborate designs of the
eighteenth century, showing the fine sheer reseau, which
was soon to attain a delicacy comparable only to a
spider's web, and exquisite flowers and figures of the
most delicate texture.

Last, but not least, we now come to the very finest of
all the Angleterre points. This is the type, which has
neither the mesh ground or the connecting ''brides," the
motifs of the pattern coming directly together. It
is only a close inspection of this lace which will
show to the best advantage the marvelous skill of the
fingers that plied their bobbins to produce the myriad
stitches employed in fashioning the bouquets and other
elaborate designs, such as vases, urns, "lilies of the
annunciation," etc. The whole piece when finished has
the appearance of a filmy bit of fabric, so close are the
motifs and so sheer and fine the toile. The ''fond de
neige," used to a great extent in this kind of Angleterre,
has, as the name implies, the appearance of snowflakes,
so round and flufify are the tiny discs which are dotted
together in small groups. There is another well-known
"fond" common to these laces called "ceil de perdrix,"
which so closely resembles the ''fond de neige" that they
are practically the same, with the exception of the small
hole in the center of the mesh design.

^inche

We now come to the third of the trio of beautiful
Flemish laces, namely, Malines, Angleterre, and Binche.

Binche is quite unlike the other two in appearance
as the reseau is much heavier and more solid in texture,
having a somewhat honey-combed effect, obtained by
plaiting the threads in such a manner as to form a small,
rather solid square with five tiny holes, and called "fond
a la vierge," or "cinq trous." This mesh is distinctly

Illustration No. 39

'Point d'Angleterre." Eighteenth century barbe ; no mesh;
great variety of grounds

Illiistration No. 40

"Point d'Angleterre.'' Eighteenth century barbe ; fine example of

cote around motifs

Illustration No. 41
Binche or Fausse Valenciennes. End of 17th centurv

characteristic as it is rarely or never found in any other
lace.

The early Binche of the seventeenth century, so
closely resembles the Valenciennes of the same period
that it is often called "Fausse Valenciennes." This type
has no reseau, is extremely light and delicate and has
the filmy effect obtained by the very sheer toile. The
''fond de neige" which we have already mentioned in

Illustration No. 42
Binche. With "cinq-trons fond" ; 18th century

connection with Angleterre is used a great deal in
Binche and is in fact one of the few stitches which dis-
tinguishes it from Valenciennes as the latter seldom has
this particular ''fond."

As time advanced Binche acquired a greater amount
of reseau, which makes it familiar to us now and also
the use of a thin thread outline somewhat resembling
Mechlin, around the "motifs." This is the type that is
imitated at the present time in such great quantities in
machine-made lace.

Illustration No. 4^
Duchesse. End of 18th century

'"Touches se'' or Bruges

Duchesse, the least attractive of the Flemish laces, is
really a combination of the ''motifs" of several types of
lace, and rather resembles the sprigs of Honiton joined
by brides, or even Guipure de Flandre. The name
Duchesse is a modern term for this type of Flemish
bobbin lace, which in its early development was known
as Guipure de Bruges.

Brussels T^oint a V Aiguille or T^oint de (^aze

We now come down to the most modern of the
Flemish laces known as Brussels 'Toint a I'Aiguille,"
or "Point de Gaze."

Its particular interest lies not merely in the fact that
it is the only needle-point lace of Flanders to attain
fame; but also because of its great popularity in all
countries, during the nineteenth century, right up to
the present time. Due to its adaptability to personal
adornment, in the way of wedding veils, scarfs and
dress trimming of all kinds, it was made in great quan-

Illustration No. 44
Brussels "Point a I'Aiguille" or "Point de Gaze"; 19th century

Illustration No. 45

Brussels ''Point a TAiguille" or "Point de Gaze" Handkerchief.

Nineteenth century

tities and attained a perfection of workmanship that
places it among the most elaborate as well as skilful
examples of needle-point lace. The frequent appearance
of the rose in the design is responsible for the term
''Rose Point/' so often used today.

Point de Gaze is made on the finest of needle meshes,
the magnificent bouquets and floral designs reflecting
the ornate taste of the nineteenth century. These sprigs
are made at the same time as the mesh and joined by
fine stitches which are concealed by leaves and sprays.
Unlike the needle laces of Alenqon and Argentan there
is no raised buttonhole, only a thread outline around
the motifs. A curious and attractive effect of shading
the flowers is obtained by part of the toile being made of
a solid stitch and part of an open stitch.

Jl^ces of France

Although the Italian wife of Henry II, Catharine de
Medici, in 1545 introduced lace-making into France, the
industry in both Italy and Flanders was well established
before France entered the field as a rival. It was through
the untiring efforts of Louis XIV's clever and ambitious
Minister Colbert that in 1665 the first school of lace
was opened in France.

It was to the little town of Alengon that he brought
Italy's most skilled lace makers, paying them lavishly to
teach his countrywomen their perfected art, in order
that France, too, might produce lace which would equal
in beauty those that she was buying in such great quan-
tities from both Italy and Flanders.

The time was most propitious for such a venture, the
reign of ''Le Roi Soleil," patron of all the arts, was
limitless in its extravagance. Men and women of the
court as well as prelates of the Church, adorned them-
selves with the most luxuriant laces. It was a natural
sequence that the industr}^ should quickly establish
itself, not only having the protection of the powerful
minister but being also greatly favored by the fashion
of the day. Well-known artists vied with each other in
making designs to be executed by both needle and
bobbin, so that France in a few short years w^as able to
equal, and in some cases excel, her rivals.

It was quite to be expected that France with her great
creative genius, so well exemplified in all her artistic
achievements, should produce a lace that would become
world-famous for its beauty of design and w^ork-
manship.

T^oint de France

In bringing over the Italian workers it was natural
that the earliest type of lace produced by the French
schools should have been an exact reproduction of the

laces of Italy. Owing to the enormous popularity of the
beautiful Venetian points their first efforts were turned
toward copying these laces, and so well did they do it
that to this day there is difficulty in distinguishing them.

The heavy Guipure or Venetian Gros Point was made
first and renamed in France ''Point Colbert," in honor
of its patron. In fact, as soon as the industry acquired
a footing, a royal edict demanded that all needle lace
made in France should be known as "Point de France."

This, of course, has caused much discussion in later
years as to the real origin of many laces. Needless to

Illustration No. 46
'"Point de France" or ''Point de Venise." Seventeenth century lappet

say, the quantities of needle point lace turned out
in the style and quality of the V^enetian points has
necessitated marking many pieces of lace seen in mu-
seums and collections: "Point de Venise" or ''Point de
France." This is true mainly of the lace produced in
the reign of Louis XIV, for already with the beginning
of Louis XV the creative spirit of the French designers
had improved on their models, embellishing them with
many extra touches, birds, animals, fountains and
Chinese figures, not to be found in the more classical
designs of the Italian points. Thus, the trained eye of
the connoisseur can readily attribute these laces to

Illustration No. 4/

"Point de France" Chalice Veil. Eighteenth century ;
showing elaborate design

France, although in texture and execution they are
identical with those made in Italy.

^kncon

Although we have just mentioned that it was in the
town of Alencon that Point de France had its origin,
the name, today, typifies quite a different lace. The
lessons they learnt from the Italian lace makers taught
the women of Alengon to become very skilful with their
needles, and they soon began to imitate the Venetian
patterns. The result was a needle point lace whose

delicacy of design as well as washable and durable qual-
ities have given it an enviable place amongst the beautiful
laces of the world.

Alenqon is made on a fine needle point reseau, made
by twisting several threads together and giving the mesh
a hexagonal shape. The patterns are usually bouquets
or single flowers like carnations and roses, besides the
undulating ribbon of the Louis XV period. During the
period of Louis XVI the ground was often dotted or
''seme" with tiny flowers, pods, or dots and even, under
Napoleon, with bees, still retaining the rather elaborate
border effect of the earlier laces. These flowers are
made with the use of a cordonnet outline obtained by
placing a horse hair around all the flowers and motifs,
and buttonholing over them, often adding tiny ''picots"
besides.

We are told that, with the exception of Argentan,
this is the onlv lace in which the use of horse hair mav

Illustration No.. 48

AleiiQon. Eighteenth century ; with carnation pattern and elaborate

needle point stitches

Illustration No. 4p

Alengon. Louis XVI

A — Veil with mesh seme with tiny pods

B — Border showing combination of heavy and fine mesh

be found, and it is to this that the pattern owes its de-
cided effect of reHef. A variety of intricate needle
stitches are also used in the pattern and it was the

Illustration No. 30
Argentan. Eighteenth century lappet ; hexagonal button-holed mesh

readiness with which Alengon lent itself to the ruffles,
jabots and "fontanges" of the day that it became a
favorite with the ladies of the court.

Argentan

The neighboring town of Argentan produced at the
same time a lace so identical with Alengon as to be prac-

lllustrat'ion No. 3/
Argentan. Eighteenth century

tically indistinguishable. The quality and texture of the
needle point was alike, and the same designs were copied
in both towns. One way, however, to distinguish them

is to closely examine the mesh. The reseau in Argentan
is hexagonal in shape like the Alengon, but was button-
holed instead of tzvisted. Naturally this may be quickly
detected in the large flounces or on pieces of less good
quality where both mesh and pattern are coarser, but, in
the fine light laces with the reseau of minute workman-
ship, it is difficult to see.

We now leave the needle point laces of France, and
while they are only three in number — Point de France,
Alengon, and Argentan — they play a very important
part in the beautiful laces of the world, both in quality

Illustration No. 52
Valenciennes. Seventeenth century ; resembling Binche

and quantity, owing to the fact that the enormous
demand was caused by the style of dress of the period,
both for men and women. The paintings of the
eighteenth century, in their minute detail of dress and
furnishings, give us ample proof of the many uses these
laces were put to, during the reigns of Louis XV and
Louis XVL

Valenciennes

Valenciennes is a small town in the north, almost as
much Flemish as French, so much so, in fact, that the
lace of this name is as often claimed by Flanders as by

Illustration No. 3J
Valenciennes. Eighteenth century

France. This bobbin-made lace was to become probably
the most popular and well known of all laces.

The Valenciennes of the seventeenth century was quite
different from the lace of that name we know today. In
speaking of Binche we referred to the fact that the early
lace of that type was so often confused with the Valen-

Illiistration No. ^4

Valenciennes. Eighteenth century

ciennes that the lace not actually made in the town of
Valenciennes became known as ''Fausse Valenciennes/'
or Binche. Some authorities claim that there is a slight
distinction, namely that the free use of the ''fond de
neige" is typical of Binche, while rarely appearing in
Valenciennes, otherwise the pattern and execution of
the two laces are identical, and there are even conflicting
opinions on this minor detail. From this came the well-
known ''Val," so famous today, that is, the type with a
great deal of reseau and a scattered floral design. Val-
enciennes is a "straight" lace, the work all being made
in one piece, generally in narrow widths, for deep

Illustration No. ^j

A — Ave Maria edge

B — ^"Point de Dieppe" ; resembling Valenciennes

flounces of this lace are seldom seen, as it was rarely
used in trimming of church vestments. The reseau or
ground is made in several different ways, the earlier
having the small round mesh, heavily plaited, not much
in use at present. Later, a square or diamond mesh of
the same type took its place. Valenciennes is said to be
the most difficult of all laces to make, notwithstanding
its apparent simplicity. This is due, not only to the
many ways of making the ground but also to the texture
and fineness of the toile. The designs are more or less

Illustration No. ^6
"Point de Paris." Nineteenth century; showing six-pointed star mesh

conventional, with a great deal of plain reseau and the
motifs of carefully drawn flowers, such as roses, tulips,
leaves, etc., appearing near the edge of the lace.

There are two narrow unimportant laces often called
Valenciennes, which are in reality "Point de Dieppe" and
"Ave Maria." Both were made in the town of Dieppe,
where Valenciennes of an inferior quality is also made
in great quantities today.

T^oint de Tr^aris

^ivPoint de Paris is a light bobbin lace made with the
famous "fond chant," or six-pointed star, mesh. It is
similar to Valenciennes in design, but having a thread
outline around the pattern.

cCille

The northern town of Lille, which, like Valenciennes,
was claimed equally by France and Flanders, produced
a great deal of lace, both black and white. Lille is a

Illustration No. 57
Lille. Eighteenth century; showing "fond simple"

Illustration No. 58
Lille. Nineteenth century; with ''point d'esprit"

f).'?

''straight" lace, having a very simple reseau known as
the ''fond clair" or ''fond simple," and, being the lightest
and most transparent of the bobbin-made grounds, the
motifs are outlined with a silky thread, resembling
Malines. The earlier patterns are stiff and the edges
straight, while the later designs are more ornate and
the "point d'esprit" on the mesh is frequently introduced.
This lace is also made in large quantities today and is
copied to a great extent in machine-made laces.

Illustration No. f,()
Chantilly Handkerchief. Eighteenth century

Chantilly

Chantilly, which gives its name to a beautiful lace,
w^as a wide center of lace-making — some hundred towns,
all following the same industry. Chantilly was not made
as early as some of the other laces and came into vogue
only during the reign of Louis XVI, reaching the height
of its popularity about 1830.

While lace known as Spanish Blonde was also made
at Chantilly, it is for the black silk lace that the name is
justly famed. The flowers and ground are of the same

silk, the cordonnet being a thicker thread, flat and
untwisted. The stitches used in the motifs of Chantilly
were made up of the earlier mesh grounds such as
''cinq-trous," "fond de mariage," etc. The black Chan-
tilly lace, which has the appearance of thread, is really
made of a grenadine silk, which, owing to its lack of
luster, is often mistaken for thread. The distinguish-
ing feature is the ''fond chant," or six-pointed star,
mesh, of the earlier Chantilly, the lace of the last century
often having the hexagonal ground of the Alengon. It
was made up into scarfs, mantillas and parasols of the
period, and the elaborateness of the floral designs made
it very popular for export to Spain and her American
colonies.

There were countless little towns in France that made

lace that bore their names, but it is needless to enu-
merate them here as they varied but little and can
readily come under the head of those laces that we have
already named.

Cluny and "Torchon

These laces, made with a very coarse thread, are
produced in great quantities today in France for the
trimming of household linens.

We trust now, to have touched on all the laces of
importance belonging to the three countries that have
played so great a part in the lace-making of the world.
Italy, Flanders, and France have given us the priceless
examples of needle and bobbin laces, which by their
unexcelled workmanship have reflected the talent,
fashion and luxury of three centuries.

J^ces of Spain

Early lace-making in Spain was contemporaneous
with Italy and Flanders. She copied the needle points of
Italy and the bobbin laces of Flanders, but her greatest
achievement was the production of the gold and silver
as well as colored thread lace, worn so much by the
Spanish grandees, and imported into France under
Louis XIV, and which attained international fame under
the name of ^Toint d'Espagne."

The national mantilla was, of course, a large product
of their bobbins and a great variety of qualities and styles
were produced. Many of the bobbin laces of Spain are
characterized by the use of the lily and pomegranate,
symbols of the cities of Seville and Granada as well as
the moresque designs copied from the work of the Moors
and distinguished by the lack of any save geometrical
patterns, the use of figures, animals, etc., being forbid-
den by the Mohammedan religion.

Spanish Blonde

The lace principally associated with Spain today is
what is known as ''Blonde," although as we have just
said, she made great quantities of bobbin lace in imita-
tion of the coarser types of Flemish and Italian.

The Blonde is used mainly for the mantillas and scarfs
worn by the women of Spain, and, strange to say, it
seems to be among the few styles that have remained
unchanged through the varying fashions of other coun-
tries. We always picture the Spanish woman in her
mantilla of black or white Blonde, often accompanied by
an over-skirt of fine Chantilly.

The Blonde lace, either white or black, is generally
made of silk, in the large floral designs so distinctly
Spanish. A great deal of this lace is made today on a
machine net, the bobbin flowers worked in and outlined
with a heavy silk thread run in with a needle. On the

Illustration No. 6i
Spanish Blonde. Eighteenth century

other hand, however, when the machine net is not used,
it is a "straight lace," reseau and motifs being made at
the same time. The white lace is seen in several tones,
the creamy being the familiar Blonde, while that having
a silvery sheen is known as "Silver Blonde."

applique

We are taking this opportunity to mention the Ap-
plique or Applied lace. It belongs more to modern times,

as it was only after the machine net came into use, less
than a hundred years ago, that it was made to any
extent. The wide machine mesh lent itself readily to
the making of wedding veils and wide flounces and even
entire dresses upon which were applied both needle and
bobbin-made motifs. We come across some examples
of the ''Vrai Reseau" among the old laces of Flanders,
France and England, but as is readily understood, there

Illustration No. 62
Applique. Nineteenth century

was no real advantage in applying the flowers to a
hand-made reseau, it being just as easy to make both
mesh and motif together as in any "straight" lace. The
advantage of Applique lay in the saving of time and
expense by making great quantities of net on the ma-
chine and then sewing on the hand-made flowers which
could be made in detached sprays of either flowers or
leaves by various workers and then assembled for final
application in the main work-room.

It seems barely necessary to say that to distinguish
Applique, all one need do is to look on the wrong side of
the lace to see that the motifs are sewn or applied to the

Illustration No. 6j

Applique Scarf. Eighteentli century ; on "vrai reseau'' showing lines

where mesh was joined

Illustration No. 64

Filet. Buratto. Sixteenth century ; mesh made with two threads
down and one across

mesh, the net in most cases being left on the back of
the pattern.

Filet

The making of Filet, or Lacis, as it is often called,
was contemporaneous with the early drawn work and it
continued in its original type down through the centuries
to the present day. It was the favorite pastime of queens
and ladies of the court, and vast quantities in squares
and strips were produced in the sixteenth and seven-
teenth centuries. Legend tells us that Catherine de
iMedici alone had more than five hundred of these
squares of her own making, in her lace chests. Filet
was comparatively easy to make and most effective as a
trimming for altar cloths and household linens.

The famous pattern books of the fifteenth and six-
teenth centuries, such as those of Parasole and Vinciolo,
were designed, to a great extent, for the Filet or Lacis,
and strange to say, the patterns seen and made today
vary little from these original designs.

There are two different types of Filet, one where the
mesh is plain and the pattern worked in with a linen

Illustration No. 6j
Filet. Lacis. Seventeenth century; knotted mesh and darning stitch

Illustration No. 66
Filet. Modern type

stitch, giving an almost woven appearance to the design
and known as Buratto. The other, where the mesh is
knotted and the design worked in with a regular darning
stitch, or Point de Reprise, is called Lacis. This lace
was generally made in rather wide flounces and strips
as well as the squares mentioned before, and with a
coarse thread, as it was so often used in conjunction
with heavy linen; it is only today that it is made in
narrow edges and insertions, with a finer linen thread.
The Filet of the present day comes more under the head
of lace than the original work so called, for it was really,
up to the middle of the nineteenth century, more of an
embroidery than a lace.

J^ces of England

In England as in other countries lace-making has a
very hazy origin. Records show us that lace or some-
thing very much like it was made about the same time
as elsewhere, but it was really not until the reign of
Henry VIII that it attained national interest under
the patronage of Katharine of Aragon, who possibly
brought from her native country, Spain, a greater fond-
ness for lace than had been previously displayed by any
of the English queens. All things pertaining to fashion
or wearing apparel can be easily brought to the fore if
favored by royalty, and it was no doubt the fashion of
the large ruffs that were in vogue then and worn both
by men and women that called for more and more lace.

We said, at the beginning, that we would touch but
lightly on English laces, for while the industry was very

Illustration No. 6/

Buckinghamshire. A — Back of lady's cap ; eighteenth century
B — Nineteenth century edge; like Lille

Illustration No. 68
Honiton Guipure. Collar ; 19th century

Illustration No. dp
Honiton. Applied to hand-made mesh

much developed and great quantities of lace produced,
the creative spirit was wanting and the lace made in
England lacked the individuality of that made in other
countries. In other words, all kinds were made in Eng-
land, but none of them were typically English as were
the A^netians and Milans typical of Italy, Alencon and
Point de France of France and Flemish Points of
Flanders.

She produced in later times laces more on the style of
Brussels or Flemish and those of northern France, such
as Lille, etc., which are called Devonshire, Buckingham-
shire, etc. The accompanying illustrations will readily
show their characteristics better than any word de-
scription.

These laces are so well copied by the machine that it
is often difficult to tell them apart.

Honiton is a much used lace today, and is probably
more typically English than any of the others, and as
it was generally made in Devonshire, it is also known
bv that name.

J^ces of Ireland

Ireland, too, had her laces, and they need no intro-
duction, for they are probably the one type familiar to
all.

The laces that we have hitherto described belong
either to bobbin or needle, but Irish lace established a
new class and shows us what beautiful effects may be
obtained by the use of the crochet hook. When crochet

Illustration No. /O
Irish Crochet. Imitating Venetian needle point ; 19th century

lace-making first started, about 1850, in the convents
of Ireland, the nuns turned their first efforts to copying,
as closely as the crochet stitch permitted, the Venetian
needle point. This accounts for the remarkable simi-
larity of some of the fine, earlier pieces of Irish to the
Point de Venise. The nuns soon began to perfect their
own designs, however, and produced the patterns which
have become known the world over as Irish crochet.

Illustration No. yi
Irish Crochet. Nineteenth century ; barbe ; rare specimen of fine old crochet

&4V( _» .... r!?:!!g^o-.<cB'iw

Illustration No. J2
Irish Crochet. IModern type of fine and heavy stitch

It seems barely necessary to describe this lace, as its
great popularity, during the last half of the nineteenth
century has made it famous.

Irish lace is copied today in many countries, all of
whom turn out a very good imitation of this crochet;
but owing to a certain quality and color of her thread
as well as the dexterity of workmanship and a method
of starching, Ireland still holds supremacy in the mak-
ing of real Irish crochet. It may be of interest to add
that the making of this lace is today part of the edu-
cation of the children in convents and schools, and the
industrv forms quite a monetarv asset to the Emerald
Isle.

jTimeric/^

Several other laces besides crochet are made in Ire-
land, among which the Limerick or Tambour lace is
well knowni. This lace, which derives its name from

the tambourine-shaped frame on which the net is
stretched, is made by drawing the thread through the
mesh with a hooked needle to form the design.

Needle run lace is of a similar type, the thread, how-
ever, being finer and run in with a needle instead of
drawn in with a tambour. These laces are very machine-
like in appearance.

CarricJ{macross

Carrickmacross, the making of which was started
about 1820, and w^as the earliest Irish lace industry, is
really made by a design cut out of a thin white cambric,
appliqued on to a net with point stitches and outlined
wuth a thread. Another type of this lace is composed
of the cambric motifs joined by ''brides" where no net
ground is used and is called Carrickmacross Guipure.

In bringing this little book to a close, I am fully aware
that there are countless laces left unmentioned, and I

Illustration No. /j

Limerick. Needle-run lace ; 19th century

Illustration No. /-/

Carrickmacross Guipure. Nineteenth century; showing cambric flowers
cut out and stitched around

mean no slight to their beauty or interest, but they are
not of sufficient prominence to be mentioned here, for
they are Httle known outside of the locality in which
they are made, save by collectors or students of lace.

We have passed lightly through three centuries of
lace, which have produced exquisite examples of handi-
work that can never be made again. For although lace-
making is not a lost art, the marvelous creations that
have been handed down to us will not, save in rare
instances, be reproduced.

The hurried life of modern man, or rather modern
woman, leaves little or no time for the patient clicking
of bobbins or plying of needles for months and even
years in the execution of a single masterpiece. While
the scientific progress of the age has brought us many
wonders, the machine has robbed the artistic world of
the objects that only the patience and skill of the hand
can accomplish. Real lace will continue to be made in

ever increasing quantities and of undoubted merit, but
the marvels demanded by kings and queens will not be
repeated. For the same religious fervor that inspired
man to build his glorious cathedrals, and woman to
lavish the perfection of her handiwork on the vest-
ments of the church, has passed with the centuries that
have left us these memories.

"The love of beauty is taste — the creation of beauty
is art."

(glossary

Brides .
Cote

Cordonnet .
Foliated
Fond

Fontanges .
Hexagonal .
Motifs . .
Picot

Punto Tirato
Punto Tagliato
Reseaii
Relief .
Toile

Bars, connecting links.

Thread edge on Angleterre motifs.

Raised outline.

Leaf design.

Ground or mesh.

Head-dress. Period of Louis XIV.

Six-sided.

Separate designs.

Looped thread.

Drawn-work.

Cut-work.

Ground or mesh.

Raised part of design.

Solid part of lace.

(^rounds

Fond Chant .
Fond Clair
Fond Simple .
Fond a la Vierge
Fond Cinq Trous
Fond de Neige
Fond CEil de Perdrix
Hexagonal twisted .
Hexagonal buttonholed
Hexagonal plaited
Hexagonal plaited
Reseau-Rosace

Six-pointed star — Point de Paris.
Light plain mesh — Lille.
Light plain mesh — Lille.
Heavy five-hole — Binche.
Heavy five-hole — Binche.
Dotted disc ground — Binche and Val.
Dotted disc ground — Binche and Val.
Six-sided needle mesh — Alengon.
Six-sided needle mesh — Argentan.
Bobbin mesh — Malines.
Lozenge-shaped bobbin mesh — Angleterre
Diapered ground.

INDEX

Alengon 55

Angleterre, Point de .... 39

Antwerp— Potten Kant ... 37

Applique 68

Argentan 58

Ave Maria — Sec Valenciennes

Binche 46

Blonde — Spanish . . . .67

Blonde— Chantilly .... 64

Bobbin Lace 10

Brussels Point a TAiguille . . 50

Buckinghamshire 75

Burano 30

Buratto — See Filet

Carrickmacross 79

Chantilly 64

Cinq Trous — See Binche

Cluny and Torchon . . . . QQ

Colbert — Point Guipure ... 53

Coralline . 19

Crochet — See Irish

Curl Stitch 13

Cut Work — See Piinto Tagliafo

Devonshire 75

Dieppe, Point de 62

Drawn Work — See Pitnto Tirato

Droschel — See Angleterre

Duchesse 50

Filet 71

Flandre, Guipure de .... 34

Flemish 33

Flemish Points 35

Fond a la Vierge — Cinq Trous —

See Binche
Fond Chant — See Point de Paris
Fond de Neige — See Binche
Fond Simple — Clair — See Lille

France, Point de 53

Free Lace 33

Gaze, Point de

Genes, Point de — See Flemish Points

Genoese

Gros Point — Sec I 'oiise
Guipure

Honiton

Irish Crochet . .^ .

Lacis — See Filet

Lille

Limerick ....

PAGE

Macrame ....
Mechlin (Malines)
Milan

Moresque — See Spanish

Needle Point

Pillow-Lace — See Bobbin

Point a I'Aiguille — See Brussels

Point d' Angleterre

Point d'Esprit .

Point de Flandre

Point de France

Point de Gaze .

Point de Paris .

Point de Raccroc

Point de Venise

Point Plat — See Venise

Potten Kant — See Antwerp

Punto in Aria

Punto Tagliato

Punto Tirato

Reticello
Rosaline
Rose Point .

Satin Stitch
Silver Blonde
Spanish Blonde
Straight Lace

Valenciennes

Venise, Point de

Venise a Reseau

Vrai Reseau — See Angleterre

34
75
76

82
35
24

39
37
35
53
50
62
40
17

17
13
13

14
22
52

68
67
33

59
17
23

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